Bakersfield school transitions to virtual learning for two weeks amid covid increase in district

The Bakersfield School District transitioned to virtual learning this week due to a “rapidly increasing number of students required to quarantine, large number of students exhibiting illness and positive cases of COVID-19,” according to a Sept. 13 post by superintendent Dr. Amy Britt on the district’s website (bakersfield.k12.mo.us).

The off-campus learning will continue for two weeks, until Sept. 29.

All in-person classes, extra-curricular activities, sports and practices are postponed during this time. Vo-tech students will not attend the South Central Career Center in  West Plains during the closure.

Students were provided Chromebook computers to take home, and teachers are scheduling virtual zoom lessons throughout the day. Students who do not have internet connection at home were able to pick up a Chromebook and a flash drive with all assignments and curriculum loaded on it. 

“This is the last thing we wanted to happen this year. We had high hopes that the mitigation measures we implemented would make this unnecessary. We reached a tipping point over the weekend with so many additional cases of illness and quarantines,” Britt’s website post said. “At this time, it makes sense to go virtual for two weeks to deep clean the facility and hope that the virus in any asymptomatic students or staff would run the two week course. It is our goal to quickly get back to a healthy school environment for everyone!”